Although you might not think of this as note-taking, marking the text as you read can be a very useful part of the note-taking process. You can do this by using a highlighter pen, by underlining key points or by making notes in the margin. However, try not to overdo it and only highlight important points.

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In 2008 there were about 75,000 solicitors working for firms providing legal advice to individuals and companies on a wide range of legal matters including buying and selling houses, family matters, contracts, tax and crime. As laws become more complicated and detailed, there is a growing trend for solicitors to specialise in a particular area of law, for example, crime or family or company. In addition, there were around 20,000 solicitors who did not practise. Solicitors are governed by the

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Initially, Parliament has control in that the enabling or parent Act passed by Parliament sets out the framework or parameters within which delegated legislation is made. In addition, there are scrutiny committees in both Houses of Parliament whose role is to consider the delegated powers proposed by a Bill. However, these committees have limited power. European legislation is considered by a specific committee and local authority byelaws are usually subject to the approval of the Department

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Byelaws can be made by local authorities and certain other public corporations and companies concerning issues within the scope of their geographic or other areas of responsibility. So, a County Council can make byelaws affecting the whole county, whilst a District or Town Council can only make byelaws for the district or town. Byelaws are usually created when there is no general legislation that deals with an issue that concerns people in a local area. If a council wishes to make a byelaw it

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In Parts A and B of this unit you have learnt about the role of Parliament in the law-making process. In addition to the power to make law itself, Parliament can delegate or pass on the power to make law to another person or body. Delegated legislation is law made by another person or body to whom Parliament has delegated or passed on the required authority. The required authority or power is usually given by Parliament in a ‘parent’ Act of Parliament known as an enabling ActAuthor(s): The Open University

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You have already seen references to Royal Assent in this unit. The monarch formally assents to a Bill in order for it to pass into law. Royal Assent has never been withheld in recent times. Queen Anne was the last monarch to withhold a Royal Assent, when she blocked a Scottish Militia Bill in 1707. The Queen feared a Scottish militia might be turned against the monarchy.

Since the sixteenth century no monarch has actually signed a Bill themselves. Instead, the monarch signs what are kno

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The House of Commons and the House of Lords must finally agree on the text of a Bill. If a Bill started life in the House of Commons it is now passed to the House of Lords where it goes through all the stages outlined above. "If the House of Lords votes against a Bill it can go back to the House of Commons and become law if the House of Commons passes it for the second time. The reason for this is that the House of Lords is not an elected body and its function is to refine and add to law rath

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This is the final vote on the Bill. It is almost a formality since a Bill which has passed through all the stages above is unlikely to fail at this late stage. In fact, in the House of Commons there will only be a further debate on the Bill if at least six MPs request it. In the House of Lords amendments may sometimes be made at this stage.

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At this stage a detailed examination of each clause of the Bill is undertaken by a committee of between 16 and 50 MPs. The committee subjects the Bill to line-by-line examination and makes amendments. The committee which carries out these discussions comprises MPs representing the different political parties roughly in proportion to the overall composition of the House of Commons. There will therefore be a Government majority on the committee. However, an attempt is made to ensure representat

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In order to become an Act of Parliament a Bill will have to be passed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. A Bill may start in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords, with the exception of Finance Bills which always start in the House of Commons. A Finance Bill is introduced by the Government shortly after the Budget to bring the Government's tax proposals into law.

Before a Bill can become an Act of Parliament it must undergo a number of stages.

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The period of preparation of a Bill allows time to scrutinise evidence on the policies underlying the Bill, and to consider whether the Bill can be improved before it is introduced. Proper preparation of a Bill should lead to better-informed debate when it is introduced, and may save time by identifying problems at an early stage. This period of pre-legislative scrutiny should allow mature consideration and so help to avoid introducing laws that are unworkable.

Individual Members of Parliament have the power to introduce their own legislation known as a Private Members' Bill. An example of a successful Private Members' Bill which became law is the Marriage Act 1994 introduced by Gyles Brandreth who was MP for Chester at the time. This Act allows people to marry in any registered place, not just a Register Office or religious building. Private Members' Bills may be the result of an MP being approached for support for a proposal put forward by particu

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Another source of legislation is the recommendations of the Law Commission. The Law Commission was created in 1965 in order to review and make recommendations about any areas of the law which the Commission felt to be in need of reform. The Law Commission is responsible for keeping all the law under review with a view to its development and reform. This is not the only body charged with proposing changes to the law, there is also the Law Reform Committee and the Criminal Law Revision Committe

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Social work and law are both contested concepts, open to a range of possible meanings, depending on their context and the source of their definition. An understanding of these competing meanings is essential to good professional practice and provides a foundation for examining the relationship between social work and the law which is central to this unit. The relationship between social work and the law is subject to change, as the organisation and delivery of social care services attempts to

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The achievements of the ECHR are many. It continues to promote human rights and democracy across Europe, it has established jurisprudence in human rights and it has made significant contributions to the continued peace and stability of Europe. Recent reforms mean that the right of individual petition is now guaranteed, so individuals are afforded protection from the power of the state. The number of HCPs has expanded to 46 and access to the protection of the ECHR and the ECtHR is available to

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The constitutional dimension of the EU has been continuously developing. It is influenced by changes both in the membership of the EU and by a desire to develop and strengthen the EU. Part of this development is reflected in the negotiations towards the adoption of a new EU constitution. This part of the unit has given you the opportunity to appreciate the complexity of this process. Whether the proposed new EU constitution merely consolidates existing legal provisions or whether it brings ab

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